10 Tips for Visiting and Living Like a Local in Rome

There is something so special about a trip when you live like a local. You experience the true culture and better food. During my first trip to Rome I had the pleasure of touring the Colosseum and underground tour of the Colosseum and ancient Rome with LivItaly Tours.
It was very easy to locate the LivItaly team in front of the metro stop for the tour. Although it rained, our Guide Rachel was in great spirits. Our group consisted of 6 total. I loved the small size group which I felt gave us a better opportunity to ask questions. Not to mention we were paired with a fun family from Alabama (thanks again for making it a fun tour).
The tour lasted about 3 hours. I am a bit of a nerd so I enjoyed every fact I learned about the tour.
Rachel was very fun and energetic. I was so impressed with the history and culture of Rome. This is not something we would have learned by riding by on a Hop on Hop off bus or if we went to these places alone. Rachel was very patient with us as we had to of course take pictures at each stop. I don’t want to give away too much of the tour because I want you to be as amazed as we were.
I can’t thank Rachel enough for the great tour and her recommendations for Rome and other regions. Everything was spot on and she was very accessible before and during our stay. I highly recommend booking a tour through LivItaly. I took a larger tour in another city and it consisted of about 100 people. It was rushed and hard to keep up with everyone.
Additional Tips for Touring Rome:

If traveling by train Termini is the nearest station to the heart of Rome. You can either take a cab or subway to the city. Cab drivers are very rude and tried to charge us triple and made up a story about how far it would take. Thank goodness our AirBnb host told us the cost before. We took the subway but there was no elevator so we struggled with our bags. Make sure you take a legal taxi with a meter and registration.

Be watchful and careful of pick pockets on the subway and train station. Avoid distractions from locals who may use kids to distract you.

Wear comfortable walking shoes as there is a lot of walking but that's how you see a lot of Rome. We preferred this to a hop on hop off bus!

In my opinion of all the cities, Rome has better shopping and Gelato!

Book tours ahead of time to avoid lines. Especially if you plan to visit during high season late May-August.

The Vatican is overwhelming and really deserves a day to really take in but the avg tour can last 2.5 hours.

Don't eat the food at or near tourist spots. The food at the Vatican was disgusting but we purchased tickets direct from the Vatican and included breakfast so we could have early access. We were told to avoid spots where the staff approached you with their specials.

2016 is Holy year so expect even more crowds.

Aperitivo is basically happy hour with snacks or meals. You will find these at few spots in Rome, you will see the specials written outside the restaurant. The food is available because it is not cool to walk around drunk in Rome.

Carry your own water and umbrella. The water sold on the streets is costly. The umbrellas are cheap. I brought my own umbrella from back home. My friend lost hers and paid for about 3 or more on the trip. You can buy water at the store and fill up through out the day at public watering places. The water is safe and really good. Those fountains labeled Non Potabile are not safe.

What are your tips for Rome? How do you live like a local when you travel? Comment below!

*Our partnership with LivItaly Tours does not affect the views expressed in the article.